Shadows of the Storm
by H. Writer
Summary: Since Apocalypse, things around the mansion, and Bayville for that matter, have been really strange and upseting. Inspired by a story published on this site, familiar faces appear in this continuation of the X-Men Evolution story line.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch. 1: A Stormy Night**

It was a blustery night in Bayville, which was contrary to the earlier weather report's prediction of calm. The reason for the howling gusts of wind was because of Ororo Munroe, whose nightmares were manifesting in her powers. She was dreaming of not just the city of Bayville, but everything in the world set aflame. Everything burning. The places where her friends live...where her family lives...where she lived.

She rolled over onto her left side, her face contorted in pain and torture. "_Mm…no…stop…_" she groaned as she fidgeted under her covers.

Then the dream changed. Rain started to pour in a heavy torrent. Hurricane force winds swept across entire continents, ripping trees from their roots, flipping over cars, demolishing homes; all from her doing.

She rolled onto her right side. "No…NO…"

Now, she stood alone in a dark, foggy void.

A low shriek was heard. She whirled around but saw nothing.

There was an odd sensation on her foot, sending shivers down her spine. She looked down.

A shadowy blob was creeping up her leg. Ororo tried to shake it off. Her legs wouldn't even twitch.

The shadow made its way up her body towards her head. She struggled to break free, but it was no use.

The shadow slowly started to enclose her head.

Just before the shadow swallowed her completely, she shot up in her bed, screaming. She took a few gasps of air when she realized she was safe in room.

A noise made her jump and she looked to the window. It was only the wind howling and she was sure she was the cause of it. She breathed a sigh of relief and her body relaxed when suddenly her door flew open, causing her to yell out in fright.

"Ro! What's wrong?" exclaimed none other than Logan, his claws extended, ready for whatever threat was there.

"Logan," the weather goddess breathed, a hand on her chest. She breathed deeply a few times to calm herself then said, "Nothing. It's nothing, Logan." She scooted back so that her back was resting against the headboard of her bed and closed her eyes. "Just a bad dream," she mumbled aloud.

Logan retracted his claws and crossed his arms over his chest as he gave a short hum in response, not knowing anything else to say.

Ororo had been having troubling dreams about three days after Apocalypse's defeat, and they were progressively getting worse by the day.

The man shrugged his shoulders and asked, "You gonna be okay?"

This time she shook her head. "I think so." Logan could she her statement didn't agree and sighed inwardly, shaking his head.

Not knowing what else to do, he crossed her room to her bed, sat down near her, and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him as tears began to stream down her face. Logan knew that the goddess of a woman didn't cry often, if at all. This nightmare must have really horrified her.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?" he asked again.

A sigh escaped her lips as she looked away. "Honestly…I don't know."

Logan knew comforting a woman was more Ororo's thing. If this had been some intruder he would have little problem with it. Right now, however, Ororo was the one who needed comforting. Right now, however, he didn't know slim to squat about comforting.

Not sure what else to do, he shrugged and asked, "Want me to get you something?"

Ororo shook her head again. "No, I'm fine," she said lowly. He sighed inwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out what to do next. "Would you…stay with me?"

Logan's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Ororo. The white-haired woman looked back and locked eyes with the feral mutant. Logan could see the fear in her damp, pleading eyes.

He nodded once. "Sure, Ro."

She smiled then scooted over on bed, and patted the area beside her, inviting him to sit. Logan shrugged again, and then sat beside the weather goddess. Ororo hugged her knees to her chest and said to the man, "Thank you, Logan."

Again he nodded once. "No problem." He shrugged then added, "Not like I got any place to be at one in the morning."

She gave a small smile then looked out the window. The winds had calmed down considerably.

The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Logan seemed to look around the room but he was actually watching Ororo from the corner of his eyes as she stared out of the window. Logan turned to her his head to get a better look at her and could see that she was lost in thought, having a distant gaze.

Logan sighed inwardly for the umpteenth, and offered, "Wanna…talk about that dream?" Ororo just shook her head, showing that she wasn't as lost in thought as Logan had thought. It wasn't just that Ororo didn't wanted talk about the dream, she just couldn't remember it. It just vanished the moment she awakened.

The man looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay…" He looked back her then asked, "How about something else?"

Ororo turned to look at him with her head tilted. "Like what?"

Logan looked away and sighed audibly through his mouth as he thought about it for a moment. He looked back at her, and with a shrug, suggested, "How about the weather."

Ororo narrowed her eyes, giving him a bemused glare.

The man looked the other wa. "Yeah, bad joke."

Her frown turned into a slight smile and she managed a small chuckled. "Actually, it was quite different from your usual attitude."

Logan's brows twitched and he turned to the white-haired woman. "So is that a good thing?" He pointed back to the door with thumb. "Because I could get Elf or Popsicle in here, if you want."

Ororo shook her head. "No, it's alright. You are doing well, actually."

With that, she leaned over and rested her head on his burly shoulder. The feral mutant felt a little awkward, not used to this kind of contact, but controlled his urge to stir. He actually found it nice. She smelled of natural and exotic scents modest and, next to Danger Room training or working on his bike, silence was comforting to him, even if he wasn't the one who need it.

"Have you talked to Charles about this?" he asked, finally breaking the silence. He just felt he had to ask.

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised, seemingly confused. "Talked to him about what?"

Logan looked at her with a serious expression in his face. "No games, Ro. You know what I'm talking about."

Ororo lowered her head, and let out a deep sigh. After a minute of silence, she finally answered his question. "I have, actually."

Logan didn't expecting that answer and he rasied an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Only a little bit," she said distantly.

"So, what did he say?"

It took her a few seconds before she spoke again. "He thinks that the nightmares started probably as a result of Apocalypse's control. But there's also something else…"

"And that would be…?" Logan pressed. She was obviously beating around the bush, but he didn't want to press her too much.

She shook her head. "I don't know. The professor couldn't tell me, and I don't know either. But it seems so familiar."

Logan looked to the wall in front of them. "Hm. I know what that feels like, darlin'. Believe me. I know."

Ororo looked up at him again. "Do you ever figure out what it is eventually?"

Logan shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly...You never know. Sometimes you just get lucky."

That answer was disheartening to the weather witch. She hung her head in disappointment, and Logan glanced down at her.

A sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head.. "But…When you do find out what's been bugging you, it'll, probably, be a little better to know."

A small smile formed on Ororo's lips. _At least he's trying_, she thought. "Thank you, Logan."

Logan looked at her with his head tilted. "For what?"

"For just comforting me," she sighed contently. Logan shrugged inwardly and returned his gaze to the wall in front of them.

Ororo snuggled closer to the feral man who wrapped his arm and her waist without thinking about it. They both enjoyed the silence and the closeness of each other.

After a few minutes, Logan looked down at the weather goddess. "So you think you'll be okay to sleep?"

She looked up at him and nodded once. "I think so."

"Just get what you can," he reassured her. "I'm sure it'll pass soon."

As Logan was about to slip out of her embrace, she stopped him. He looked back and saw that same fearful look in her eyes. But he also noticed that she had trouble making eye contact or even facing him.

Finally, she asked, "Would you…do me one last favor?"

"Sure, Ro. What is it?"

Ororo drew in a deep breath then made eye contact with him. Rather quickly, she asked, "Stay with me tonight."

Again, Logan's eyes widened. "You mean…" he trailed off, know what she was talking about. She just nodded in reply.

After studying her expression, Logan could tell that she was serious. Several thoughts started racing through his mind. Sure sleeping with a beautiful woman had its appeal to him. Ororo was his best friend, however, and he, of course, had nightmares of his own, and if he started thrashing, he knew she would get hurt. That was one thing wouldn't be able to deal with if he caused her pain. Yet, even though he had several reasons not to, the longing expression in her face was too strong to ignore.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Ro. It's not that I mind the idea, but-"

She interrupted him by her hand up. "I know you still have your own problems, and I know Charles would object to this, but I just don't to be alone tonight."

Now, there was the thought of the students hearing about this. He knew he would never hear the end of it, but Ororo did need comfort; he didn't want her to hurt herself if she had that nightmare again.

With a defeated sigh escaping his lips, he said, "Alright. If you think it'll help."

She smiled then nodded. "I'm sure it'll help both of us."

Ororo scooted over and held up the sheets, inviting Logan into her bed. After he set aside the uncertainty, he slipped under the covers, and soon started to stir a bit.

Her bed was _**much**_ more different than his. The main thing being that it was softer and cleaner. Nonetheless, it felt good.

Ororo snuggled up against Logan who willingly took her into his arms. He got another whiff of her scent then sighed contently.

"Thank you, Logan," she said softly. "Regardless of what you think, you're a very sweet man."

Logan grinned. "Sure thing, darlin'. Just don't go telling everybody about it."

"You're secret is safe with me." With that, she placed as soft kiss on his cheek, as if to seal the deal. She just did it, without thought or ration. It was unexpected by both, but welcomed and meaningful.

Ororo snuggled closer to Logan, resting her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes finally falling back asleep. Logan stayed awake a while longer thinking about this moment and watched her nod off. He soon found himself fixated on her face. There was something about her that gave him a familiar feeling; he just didn't know what it was. Logan pushed the thought aside for another time. He began to nod off and for the first time in ages got a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_"Sleep well, little thief. For soon you will be mine and no will be able to help you."_

This story is inspired by Comfort at Heart by slickboy444, which is a very excellent story Logan/Ororo story by the way.

I have another chapter already typed, but I'm not gonna put it up until I get the third chapter completed. And for those of you who've read my other stories, those will be on hiatus for a while. Hopefully for a short while.

**_Disclaimer_**: I don't own the X-Men or anything affiliated with the X-Men. They all belong to Marvel and their respective creators.

Oh, and by the by to any of those who intend to put me down or bad mouth me. I'm not gonna drag this out, and get straight to the point. If your parents didn't hug you, or nobody else likes, well then don't take it out on anybody else, and find a different outlet, one that doesn't hurt others. Putting people down, for any reason, is just wrong, okay?

Comments and criticisms welcome. Until next chapter, H. Writer out. Paz e muito amor (Peace and much love).


	2. Chapter 2

********

Ch. 2: Something's Going Down

It was mid-morning. Various pedestrians from business workers to joggers to just casual people were going about their business while cars passed by on the street.

A brown-haired man in a two-piece, single breasted suit, carrying a briefcase, walked down the street. He was talking on his cell phone when somebody going the opposite way bumped into him, which knocked the cell out of his hand. The businessman turned to the guy who bumped him, a black-haired young man in a t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey, you mind paying attention to where you're walking next time?" said the brunette.

The more casual guy just turned around and picked up the phone. The businessman raised an eyebrow, putting his free fist on his hip as the young man held the phone out to the businessman.

The man narrowed his eyes, his lip stretching in one direction. "Yeah, thanks." He reached out for the phone then grabbed it with his fingers touching brushing against the other man's fingers. The businessman's eyes widened when he felt an odd sensation traveling from his fingers up his arm to his head.

The younger man shook his head and put his hand to it as the businessman pocketed his phone, turned, and continued down the direction he was going.

* * *

Logan was the first to wake up. He opened his eyes halfway, and saw that the sun was way up before he was. It was a surprise to him, but he didn't mind. The sleep he got was refreshing, and he couldn't remember when he got such a good night sleep.

For a few minutes, he laid next to the woman he had slept with last night, just watching her sleep peacefully. Her smooth, warm skin was far different than the cold nothingness he usually woke up to, for all of his morning, for as long as he could remember...and he liked it.

After a few long, but pleasant, minutes, Ororo woke up, and then a small, sleepy smile graced her lips when she looked up at the man holding her close.

He nodded his head. "Mornin' darlin'."

"Good Morning, Logan," she replied sleepily. She raised her hand to her mouth as she yawned. "I assume you got a good night sleep?"

Logan chuckled. "Surprisingly, yes." His expression became serious. "We should get up before anybody finds out." He didn't want to draw any suspicion, or receive a lecture from Charles.

Ororo sighed inwardly then nodded in reluctance. "You're right."

* * *

It was almost as if it never happened. Life at the institute was pretty much back to normal. Well almost actually would be the better term, but that's for another time.

Right now, Logan and Ororo were going about their usual routine, as if nothing happened between them.

"Miss Munroe! You're finally up!" Kitty exclaimed in excitement causing Amara, Dani, Kurt, and Sam to look up. Ororo had just walked into the kitchen, catching Kitty's attention first as she was the one who was facing the door.

Ororo gave a warm smile then nodded her head. "Good morning everybody." She glanced over the faces of the five students. Amara and Kurt seemed to be as excited as Kitty, Sam was giving her a smile, and Dani had her head tilted down, yet was smiling shyly up at the older woman.

"You all seem rather chipper this morning."

Kurt nodded his head. "We're just glad you're alright."

Ororo nodded her head in gratitude and walked over to the cabinets. She opened them, grabbed a plate, closed the cabinet doors then made her way over to the island to get some of what was left of the food.

"So what made you decide to sleep in?" Sam asked.

Ororo shrugged her shoulders as she scooped some eggs onto her plate. "I suppose I was tired."

"You sure did look the part," Kurt commented.

Amara nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were worried about you."

"Is everything alright, Miss Munroe?" Dani asked. She nodded her head to the side. "Other than…the nightmares."

This time Ororo looked up at the young Native American with a warm smile. "It's beginning to get better, Danielle."

A big grin spread across Kurt's face. "Well, that's good to hear."

Sam nodded, smiling as well, though not as big as Kurt's. "Yeah, glad to see you're getting better."

"But if you, like, get the chance," Kitty started, "drop by the others."

Amara nodded her head. "Yeah, they're just as worried about you, too."

Ororo nodded her head, as well. "I will be sure to do that. Thank you, all of you."

Kitty bobbed cheerfully as she nodded. "Sure thing."

Kurt waved a dismissive hand. "No problem."

Sam turned his palms up. "Happy to help."

Amara nodded in agreement. "Same here."

Dani gave a nod. "We're just glad you're doing better."

Another smile appeared on the weather goddess' lips. It was nice to know to cared about, and she couldn't blame them, seeing as her attitude had changed since Apocalypse. She realized the irony in the fact that roles were reversed.

Another thought occurred to her, however. Why did she start having nightmares two day after her possession?

She realized she was projecting her thoughts when Dani asked, "Are you alright, Miss Munroe?"

Ororo looked up from the eggs she was picking at. "Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm just thinking, dear."

* * *

"Red, Popsicle. Cover us. Stripes, Cyke. Watch my back."

"Got it" Rogue nodded.

"Right behind you," Cyclops added.

"Heads up!" Iceman yelled. He created an ice shield in front of the group, blocking a barrage of beam and bullet shots.

It was a first for the man known as Wolverine. In several facts, the first and foremost being that he almost felt like the Energizer Bunny. He had energy and vigor he didn't remember ever having. The other was the fact that he was surprised to see Popsicle down here, but nonetheless he was proving more useful than he had expected. Apparently, he was different person, even if he hadn't been possessed by Apocalypse.

"Let's move!" Wolverine commanded.

Him, Cyclops, and Rogue dart from behind their cover. Iceman took to the sky by ice slide, while Jean flew close to the members without a physical defense.

Dozens of soldiers opened fire on the mutants. It was a raid on the mansion.

Rogue and Cyclops were protected by Jean's shield.

Iceman slid by, avoiding the shots fired, and froze several of the soldiers.

Wolverine leapt into a group, and began tearing through the weapons, allowing for his allies to attack without harm.

Optic blasts, adamantium claws, and ice attacks were flying everywhere. Several soldiers flew back from telekinetic blasts, while others were knocked or thrown the ground.

The attacks flowed smoothly as all of the soldiers fell in a short amount of time. Occassionally, Rogue mumbled or yelled at some of the attackers, something along the lines of Swamp Rat or Cajun.

Cyclops pointed to the sky. "Incoming!"

A Sentinel landed in the middle of the yard with a heavy thud, shaking the ground.

Wolverine smirked. "Finally, some action." He became serious once again. "Alright! Cyke! You Red and Icebox cover us!" He turned towards Rogue. "You're still with me Stripes!" The southerner just nodded in response.

The machine raised it hands, ready to fire beam blasts.

"Go!" Wolverine yelled.

The machine fired a barrage beam shots. The team evaded the blasts.

Iceman fired an ice beam at the robot's head, covering its eyes to block its vision.

Cyclops fired several beam at its shoulders, as Wolverine and Rogue attacked the legs.

Rogue lobbed a few grenades at the back of it knee.

The explosion caused it to lean as Wolverine tore apart the other leg. The machine fell to its knees as Jean strained to rip out the arm that contained the immobilizing goo.

Steam rose from the ice and it melt away as the robot heated up its head.

Jean nearly ripped out the arm when the Sentinel opened its shoulders, revealing the missile launchers.

"Jean heads up!" Cyclops yelled then fired a Optic Blast. The beam hit its left shoulder causing an explosion, but he didn't get to the other in time.

A round of missiles was fired at Jean and Iceman.

Iceman fired a few, large, well placed hail stones, causing some of the missiles to explode.

Jean evaded the others then redirected them back at the Sentinel.

The missile destroy the arm she was originally trying to rip out, leaving it in shambles, yet the machine kept on fighting. It fired a hail of beam shots from it body, eyes, and remaining arm. None hit their mark.

"Popsicle, give me a lift!" Wolverine ordered as he ran around the robots blind side.

Iceman slid down to meet him. Without missing a beat, Wolverine hopped onto the slide.

"Bring me as high as you can!" Iceman nodded in reply.

After they climbed a few stories into the air, Wolverine called out, "Red, give me a boost!" With that he leapt off the slide.

Jean raised her hand towards the falling man, and directed him towards the Sentinel. Wolverine extended his claws forward and dove like a missile towards the robot's head.

Before machine could even react, Wolverine shot through its head and out the other side.

With an incredible amount of strain, Jean stopped the clawed man just before he hit the ground.

She pulled him away as the giant robot fell backwards, and hit the ground with a sound of thunder and short earthquake.

Jean set her teammate down beside her and Cyclops. Iceman slid down towards them and Rogue jogged over to the group.

OBJECTIVES COMPLETED. YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE MISSION. YOUR TIME HAS BEEN RECORDED.

The area fizzed as the hologram disappeared, the metal walls, floors and ceiling of the Danger Room replacing it.

Wolverine nodded as he dusted arms. "Good." He turned to Iceman and Jean. "Nice work you two. That went off without a hitch."

Cyclops whilred around to face the older man. "Hang on! Did you actually say something positive after a session?" Wolverine didn't respond.

"You did seem a bit different this time around," Jean pointed out.

Rogue put her hands on her hips. "Yeah, Ah think Ah even heard ya make a joke when that Sentinel appeared."

It was no surprise to him that, in all time he's lived and trained with them, they'd notice something like this. The only one that didn't give him a curious stare was Popsicle, who just gave him a distant stare, yet remained, signaling that he was almost as curious.

This was probably going to be one of those very few, very rare times where he wasn't bothered. The effect this morning was still there, however, and they were starting to sink in.

He wanted to avoid dropping any more hints, so he finally grunted in response, and turned to leave.

As he walked towards the metal doors, he said, "Tell Hank to beef it up to the next level. Even after Charles is done with the next program, we'll keep running this simulation."

The doors hissed open and he disappeared through them without another word.

Jean, Rogue, and Cyclops watched him with further intrigue when they spotted Iceman leaving, as well. He was dragging his feet, looking almost dejected.

Jean looked the most concerned. "Are you alright Bobby?"

He sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The doors hissed open again, and closed after he walked through them.

Rogue soon followed after, arms crossed over her chest. "Ah don't even know why Ah'm still standin' 'round here, anyway. We're done here. What's the pointa stickin' 'round?"

Jean and Scott watched as Rogue left as well, leaving the couple standing together alone.

Scott placed a hand on his hip as he rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand. "Is there a full moon tonight?"

Jean just looked at the visor-wearing brunette.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when a light blue Porsche 911 pulled up to the gates to the Xavier Mansion. The driver of the car was a woman with platinum blonde hair that stopped between her shoulders and mid back, and wore icy blue lipstick. She had on a halter top with a very low neck line, a leather blazer, tight pants, and a choker, everything being a bluish white color.

The woman pressed the button to roll down the window. With a whine the window disappeared into the door, and she leaned out of it to press and hold a button on the intercom.

The professor was writing a speech in his office when a buzzing sounded from the intercom on his desk caught his attention.

He pressed the button for a second before taking his finger off it. "Yes?"

"/Professor Charles Xavier, I presume?/"

The professor instantly recognized the voice. "Ah, Miss Frost. Glad you could come." He tapped another button. "You may come in. I shall meet you at the main entrance."

The gates to the mansion began to open as the woman sat back in her seat, and closed her window. She drove in through the gates, which started to close back as she drove up to the mansion.

* * *

The woman closed the door to her car as Xavier wheeled out of through the mansion doors. A smile appeared on her lips, and she started towards the professor

As she climbed the stairs, Xavier greeted her with a nod. "Welcome, Emma." He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

The woman nodded and took his hand. "Ditto. It's good to know you haven't forgotten about me."

They broke the handshake and the professor placed his left hand over his other hand. "Well, you don't need an eidetic memory to remember the attitude you've had when you were younger."

"Indeed, though I have come a long way since then, mind you."

The professor nodded again in agreement. "I wouldn't doubt that at all." He motioned his left hand back towards the mansion. "Shall we talk in my office?"

She shook her head as she said, "I wouldn't mind it if we did."

Professor Xavier wheeled his chair about face and rolled back into the mansion with the blond in tow. She swayed to her hips as she followed the headmaster, and it goes without saying that plenty of the men of the X-Mansion stared as she walked passed. Some of them were drooling, and others were slapped upside their heads by some of the girls. Scott, on the other hand, received a small mental blast from Jean, which resulted in a bad headache.

Logan was walking through the hall when he spotted Xavier and the blond together. The feral mutant stepped aside to let them pass, and stared at the woman. He wasn't staring at her with the same look the students gave, but looking at her with suspicion. The blond woman glanced at him as she walked past, her eyes narrowed in a cold glare. It took all Logan had not to growl at her, though he did bare his teeth, and narrow his eyes in return.

The woman tossed her head and scoffed, her hair flipping as she did. Logan snorted and stormed off in the other direction.

* * *

Once in his office, the professor wheeled behind his desk and turned to face the woman.

He motioned to one of the chairs in front of him. "Please, have a seat, Emma."

The blond nodded in gratitude. "I appreciate the offer, Charles, but I think I'll pass."

The professor nodded his head. "Fair enough. So you wanted to discuss about a…_**disturbance**_ you've sensed?"

Frost nodded her head again. "Yes." She turned to her right and walked over to the shelves of books on the wall, stopping about a foot from the shelves.

After she laced her fingers together behind her back, she began. "You see, some of the students at my academy have acted rather strange recently."

The professor leaned forward in his chair while he raised an eyebrow and pressed his fingers into a steeple. "Acted? How so?"

She looked over her shoulder at the professor. "Have you ever known a teenager to act quiet?" Her attention returned back to the shelves and looked up to the highest shelf. "Not as though they are depressed, but as though they are devoid of any emotion. Not to mention the fact that it seems to jump from person to person."

"Possession."

Frost nodded, confirming his statement. "I haven't really paid much attention until a student came into my office yesterday, on his own accord."

The professor raised an eyebrow at the statement. Frost continued on, however.

"For some reason the boy wanted to shake my hand. I wondered why and so I asked him about it. He merely replied, and I quote, 'Because I was the best principal.'"

"Is that not true?"

"Let's just say I'm one of the strictest of them." She glanced at the professor again. "I've even taken disciplining the students into my own hands."

The professor leaned back in his chair while he placed his left hand over his other hand. "So what happened after this young man gave you the compliment?"

She crossed her arms and turned towards the window behind the professor. "I was merely about to show him out, which was when I found out he was possessed. I was barely able to block attack in time, and even then I had difficulty keeping the assailant out."

The professor set his arms in his lap and leaned forward in his chair. "Were you, at all, able to identify who tried to possess you, Emma?"

Frost shook her head. "Unfortunately, I could not identify who tried to possess me. I'm not entirely sure what it was that prevented me from doing so, but it most likely could have been a psychic block."

The professor crossed an arm over his chest and put his other hand to his chin as he looked down, closing his eyes in thought. A contemplative hum came from his throat.

Frost turned to the professor with an eyebrow raised. "Is there something on your mind, Charles?"

"I'm wondering if this could perhaps be the cause of some disturbances here."

"Disturbances?" She sauntered over and stood in front of the professor's desk. A sly smile crept into her lips. "Like what?"

The professor returned her smile with a smile of his own as he set his elbows on the armrests and interlaced his fingers. "That's confidential."

Frost nodded and sighed, "Fair enough." She turned and sauntered away from the desk towards the door, and stopped just short of grabbing the doorknob "By the way," she glanced over her shoulder at the professor. "I might consider taking you up on your offer. If it's still available that is."

The professor shook his head. "It doesn't matter how long one takes to accept an invitation, as Hank McCoy can attest. The invitation always remains open."

A smirk appeared on the woman's icy blue lips. "Well, let's hope that I don't lose my beauty before I make my decision."

She turned back to the door and opened it. "I'll see myself out, thank you." As she walked out of the room, she raised her hand in a wave over shoulder. "It was a pleasure, Charles."

With that she closed the door behind her.

* * *

So yeah, another chapter mostly similar to Comfort at Heart. I wanted to add Emma in there because I'll need her for a future story. Expect more character appearances and reappearances, new and old, throughout this XME continuation

Also, I'm sorry for the delay on the update. I've just got caught with someother stories that I'm creating, and it could take some time. Don't rush genius, is all I'm saying. P.S. I'm not usually concided, so don't get the wrong idea.

Anyway, I'm coming up with a prequel to this story, one that involves Dani Moonstar join the institute, and a few others, namely an Assassin's Creed II fic, among others.

Alright, so I'll wrap it up before I start ranting. Hopefully, I won't take as long to update.

Paz e muito amor (Peace and much love).

Oh, and I changed the title because I did some research. Turns out Shadow Play is a pretty popular title.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3: Family is Where the Heart Is.**

"/You sure this will help Hank. I mean, even with her friends or family, I don't think she'll be able to move on./"

"You're just being pessimistic."

It was around high noon when the Beast of Bayville was on the phone with another man, a friend of his from high school.

"/Comes with being in the military for a few years, you know?/"

"Well, either way, your niece will enjoy being here...You know, you should even consider joining yourself."

"/You know I might take you up on that. With all this bull happening between mutants and humans, I think it would be a good idea to teach some defensive techniques./"

Hank chuckled a bit before he spoke. "I'm pretty sure that you'd have trouble with Logan about fight training."

"/Yeah, well, you know me, Hank. I'm not gonna give up without even trying./"

"Feel free to do so, just remember what I've told you about him."

The man at the other end of the line chuckled. "/Now, how's being the pessimist. Anyway, we should be there by tomorrow. Later, Hank/"

"Alright, see you then."

With that, the furred scientist hung up the phone, and at that moment, Scott appeared around a corner, with a few letters in hand, and head his way.

"Hey, Hank."

Hank nodded in greeting and replied, "Afternoon, Scott. What's in the mail today?"

The shades-wearing brunette stopped and began to shuffle through the letters. "Same old, same old. All except for this one." He handed Hank a wrinkled envelope. The furred mutant studied it for a moment, and saw a name scrawled across the non-flap side of it. It was Ororo's name.

His brows furrowed in thought. "Hmm." He looked up at Scott with a smile. "You know what," he held out an offering hand. "I'll be happy to take the rest of it to Charles. I'm heading in that direction anyway."

Scott tilted his head questioningly for a few seconds, but then shrugged it off. "Alright." He handed Hank the rest of the envelopes.

Hank nodded his head. "Thank you."

"Sure thing." With that, the young man turned and head back where he came, while Hank turned and knuckled off in the other direction.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ororo was with Xavier in his office for some counseling. Well, in her opinion, it wasn't so much counseling as just trying to find what happened to her dreams and what they were about. They had started a little late due to Emma Frost's visit. Ororo had asked about it, and the professor just said she was someone he asked to join the institute some year ago.

At first, she had waited about a week before she went to him, thinking that these dreams would pass. To be the one getting counseling, it just wasn't for her. Still, Ororo wanted to find out what the dreams were about, yet, for some reason, the professor was unable to even find them.

The professor shook his head, while his hand came to rest on his fist. "I don't understand it. I've never known a dream that mysteriously vanished...like it wasn't there to begin with." He gazed at the white-haired woman. "However, let's not assume they're starting to get worse."

The weather goddess' nodded in understanding, as she massaged her temple due to the resulting headache from having her mind being shifted through. "Is there anything you can do to prevent dreams like this from happening again?"

The professor shook his head. "Unfortunately, no, I cannot, but, again let's not assume they're getting worse."

A deflated sigh came from Ororo's lips. She shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Thank you, anyway, Charles."

Said telepath pressed his fingers together, forming a steeple. "I am curious and concerned about you, Ororo. With the exception of today, you haven't been your usual self since Apocalypse's control. I wish you would talk to me about this."

The African goddess became visibly tense for a moment. She met the telepath's gaze with a smile on her lips. "Professor, I fine. Really. There's no need to worry."

Even though he believed different, the professor nodded his head and leaned back in his chair.. "Very well, then. We can conclude our session for today, if you like."

Ororo nodded her in gratitude, her tension beginning to ease away, and stood up from the chair and headed for the door to his office.

The white-haired woman reached for the knob when the door swung open.

Ororo leaned back in time to avoid being hit.

The person that opened the door, and still had his hand on it, was Hank. "Oh! Sorry about that, Ororo." He smiled and joked, "This has to be the second time I've caught you by surprise.

The African goddess smiled at the beast and nodded her head. "That's alright, Hank. I was just leaving."

He took his hand from the door and raised his index finger.

"Ah, before you go, I want to give something, first." His other hand, which was behind his back, moved to present Ororo with an envelope. "This came for you in the mail. There's no return address."

Ororo furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and took the letter from the man-turned-animal. She pinched the flap with her thumb and index finger, with the latter under the flap, and delicately tore the letter open. When the letter was opened, she pulled out the sheet inside. It was stained with a few water marks, which made Ororo wonder at that, yet she felt she knew who it was from.

She read the letter, and in less than a minute, a sigh escaped Ororo's lips when she finished.

The professor raised an eyebrow. "Ororo, is it something we should be concerned about?

She shook her head. "No, it's not." The woman looked up at the furred mutant then nodded. "Thank you, Hank."

With that she walked out of the door. Hank turned back to Xavier a few seconds after Ororo left.

"There's also something else I wanted to talk to you about, Charles."

Said man arched a questioning brow again.

* * *

About a couples of hours later the entire staff and student body were in the conference room. There was a hum as the students were discussing about what was the reason the professor called them for a meeting.

Logan was standing as far off to the side as possible; being a mutant with super-hearing made it difficult to put up with multiple conversations at once, especially in an enclosed space with a bunch of teenagers.

Ororo was standing near Logan, hands clasped in front of her. None of the students took notice of that fact, even though Ororo usually stood at the opposite side of the room from Logan, to make sure that the students hadn't brought any music or game playing devices into the room. Logan was thankful for the fact that most teenagers were always involved in some kind of conversation.

Soon the murmuring quieted as Professor Xavier and Hank came into the room. The professor wheeled over to take his place in front of the students while Hank knuckled over towards Ororo and Logan. He noticed something about them that the students didn't.

He whispered to them, "_You two are closer than usual_."

Both Logan and Ororo's eyes flicked towards him, but that was it. Hank decided not to push the subject any further and turned back professor.

"Everyone...as you know, this is a school for mutants. In the light of recent events, I have found more mutants, and there is no doubt that quite a number will soon be attending here. That being said we will be doing some renovations to the mansion, should any be necessary. So I expect you all to pitch in with any renovations we do, being careful not to make any uncalled for _**changes**_ to the mansion.

"On a related subject, if it comes down to it, I will obtain the required documents to allow for the staff and I to be able to teach here at the mansion. With tensions between humans and mutants still on the rise, I have no doubt that it will eventually happen. Regardless, I still expect you all to maintain your best behavior when out in public, and to maintain control of your powers." He paused to glance at several of the resident mutants, particularly the New Recruits, and Logan. Said man just grunted in response.

The head of the institute continued. "Finally, we will have two guests who should be arriving tomorrow. Hank in particular knows the man as I'm sure most of you do."

At that point, Hank spoke up. "His name is Lucas Bishop, or Bishop, the famous M.M.A. and U.F.C. fighter you've heard of." Another murmur started up again, this time a bit louder. Hank held up his hands. "Alright, settle down. He and his niece, **_especially_**, will be joining us, and there shouldn't be any fuss over either of them. **_Especially_** his niece." His tone of voice took on a saddened tone. "Her parents died within the last year, and she has developed Posttraumatic Stress in relation to the incident."

Jean asked, "What happened?"

"Car accident. Eighteen wheeler." There was a deafening silence. "Her powers enabled her to survive, but the incident left her in a terrible emotional state."

Xavier spoke up once again. "So we should give this young woman the best hospitality we can give, and refrain from mentioning anything about the accident. Understood?" There was a chorus of yeses and nods among the students. The professor nodded his head. "Alright, you're all free to carry on with you day." With that he turned and wheeled out of the room.

Seconds after the professor left, the students began to disperse and leave the room, giving the three senior staff members some quiet.

Ororo shook her head and finally spoke. "That poor girl."

Hank solemnly nodded his head. "Yes, it's very unfortunate to witness the death of one's parents."

_A young Ororo was playing with her mother, a white haired, African woman. Her father, a dark-haired, blue-eye American man with a warm smile was sitting on the couch nearby watching them play._

_The room of the apartment they lived began to shake; vases, pot plants, and lamps fell and crashed to the floor, several books feel from their shelves, unbolted furniture moved around._

_Ororo's mother grabbed her daughter, as she and her husband headed for the door._

_The rumbling became an explosion, and the apartment collapsed around the family._

"_MOMMY!"_

Ororo raised her hand to her head and shook it as the memory faded. The motion didn't go unnoticed by the two men in the room.

Logan was the first to speak. "Ya feelin' alright, Ro?"

"Just...a headache." A sigh escaped the weather-goddesses lips. "Excuse me." She walked out without another word, head down.

Logan and Hank watched her leave, both with the same worried expressions. The former wondered if he should go and talk the woman, which was not really his strong suit. Instead, he decided to wait, and headed off to the garage to go fix something.

Hank watched him leave before he left to go plan the next Danger Room session.

* * *

Later that night, Ororo was standing on her balcony, staring off into the distance. There was a full moon high overhead, casting the area in a soft glow, and a few clouds in the sky. A breeze fluttered the African goddess' robe, nightgown, and hair. She hugged herself, more for comfort than warmth, while waiting for someone to show.

A knock on her door caused her to flinched, which resulted in a pick-up in wind speed. She heaved a sigh, knowing well enough that she should have better control of her weather manipulation. After she calmed the winds down, she headed for her bedroom door. When she opened it, Logan was standing there in a tee and pajama pants.

Ororo tilted her head in confusion. "Logan?"

"Mind if I come in, darlin'?"

"Uh...no...I don't mind." She stepped aside to let the burly man in, then closed the door, and turned to the man.

Before she could speak, Logan asked, "What happened in the conference room earlier, Ro?"

A sigh escaped the woman's lips as her gaze fell off to the side. She should of known that this was going to happen eventually. "Some old memories resurfaced."

"Did ya tell, Charles?"

Ororo shook her head. "Not, yet. And before you ask..." Another sigh escaped her lips. "...I'm just not ready to tell anybody yet."

Logan nodded, understanding her privacy. "So what're ya still doin' up?"

She looked him in the eyes. "I'm waiting for Evan." The fact that Logan wasn't facing the light prevented the weather goddess from seeing his brows twitch.

He crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "What's Porcupine comin' here for?"

Again, she shook her head. "I don't know. He didn't tell me in the letter he sent."

Logan nodded his head again. "Well, I won't keep ya." He headed for the door while Ororo stepped aside. After he opened the door, he turned towards the dark-skinned woman, his face lit up by the light in the hall. There was a look of concern in his expression, which confused Ororo.

"Night, Ro."

She nodded then said, "Goodnight, Logan."

The normally gruff man waited for a few seconds, just staring at the weather goddess, and then walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Auntie O."

The African goddess whirled around to the window. A shadowy figure stood in the opening, carrying something in his arms. Her eye couldn't see any details only the outline of the spikes on his shoulders and head.

Ororo nearly shouted. "Evan!" She ran over to her nephew, wanting nothing more than to give him a hug, but came to a stop when her eyes finally adjusted to the light. The former X-Man was carrying young, teenage girl in his arms.

So many questions were running through Ororo's mind, but after a minute she asked the main question, "Evan...who is she?"

"It's Alisa. She followed me into the sewer." He looked down at the dark-skinned girl in his arms, who was unaware of her surroundings.

Ororo raised a hand to her mouth. "By the goddess." She looked back at her nephew. "What happened to her? How did you find out? What, on Earth, was she doing down there in the first place?"

Evan looked his aunt in the eyes. "Okay, in order...First she was discovered by a new Morlock. Telepath. Put her out cold. Second, well, you can guess the second one, and third..." He shook his head. "I have no idea."

A silence grew between them. After a minute, the girl moaned and stirred in Evan's arms.

Evan looked back at his aunt again. "What should I do?"

Ororo sighed to herself before looking back at the Morlock. "Put her in the chair over there." She pointed off to the right, near a bookshelf.

The Morlock leader mumbled, "That's new," and did as he was told. He gently set the girl in the chair, letting her head rest against the back of the recliner.

Ororo shuffled up behind Evan and put a hand on his shoulder. "You did a good thing bringing her here. I'll contact her parents in the morning."

Evan looked back over his shoulder at his aunt. "Thanks, Auntie O."

With that said, he began to walk back towards the window.

Ororo reached out towards him. "Wait."

He stopped just short of the opening. When he turned around, he was met by his aunt hugging him. Evan was a bit surprised at first, but soon returned the embrace.

The weather goddess spoke softly. "It's been so long since I've seen you."

The former X-man nodded. "I know. I've missed you too, Auntie O."

They stayed in the sembrace for a few minutes longer before Evan broke from it. As he walked towards the window, a passing cloud darkened the light. In less than a half-minute the lighting returned. Ororo shuffled towards the window, in an attempt to spot her nephew. There was no sign of him.

The African woman heaved a sigh.


	4. Interlude 1

HEY! I'M ENDING THIS STORY!

Psych, but now that I have your attention, make sure you read chapter 3 beforehand, otherwise, nothing in this short intermission will make sense.

Well, what're ya waiting for? An E-vite. Go on and read it.

Oh, you have? Well then by all means, continue reading. Sorry for the delay.

* * *

**Interlude 1**

When she made sure that Alisa was covered with a blanket and comfortable, Ororo headed down towards the kitchen to make herself some tea; actually she just wanted to see if Logan was still awake. It was one thirty in the morning, so she assumed he was. Once she was down in the kitchen, she was disappointed to see he wasn't there. She heaved a sigh, and went to get the tea ingredients from the cabinet near the refrigerator, figuring she might as well make some before going to bed.

As she was stirring the tea leaves in the tea kettle, she failed to notice Logan, who was now leaning on the threshold of the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest.

He decided to speak up before Ororo hurt herself. "Evenin' darlin'."

The white-haired woman jumped nearly knocking the pot over, and whirled about to face Logan.

He hung and shook his head. "My fault." He lifted his head to meet her gaze. "Shouldn't've come in on you like that."

A sigh escaped Ororo's lips and she turned back to the steaming pot. "It's alright, Logan." She covered the pot with a lid.

The feral man could sense tension in her. _Probably having to do with Evan's visit,_ he figured. There was about a minute of silence before he spoke.

"Saw Porcupine leavin' the grounds." Probably not the best subject to bring up.

Another silence grew between them in the couple of minutes before Ororo spoke. "He brought a relative of mine from the sewers. She's fine, just unconscious for the moment."

"Why don't you bring her to the infirmary?"

Ororo shook her head. "I don't want to cause a commotion."

There was yet another silence between them for a about several seconds. Logan asked, "So what was she doin' down there to begin with?"

"Honestly..." Another sigh escaped her lips. "...I don't know. He doesn't either, yet I'm sure we have the same theory as to why she was down there."

Logan nodded his head, understanding what she meant. Another silence grew between the two. It really got on Logan nerves when that happened, but he wasn't much for words.

The moment the kettle started to whistle, Ororo turned off the fire and removed the pot from the stove. She turned to Logan and asked, "Would you like some tea?"

"Non-caffeinated, right?"

A smile spread across Ororo's face, and she nodded in reply, turning to the cabinet to the right of the stove. The man usually avoids the stuff well before the rest of the residents go to bed. It was just his way.

She grabbed two cups then poured the tea in them, set the kettle back on the stove, and walked towards the island in the kitchen. As she sat down, Logan walked over and sat beside her. She handed him his cup, and took a sip from her own.

Logan took a swig of the tea before he set the mug down. They stayed in silence for a good few minutes glancing at each other every so often.

The burly man decided to break the ice between them. He turned to the woman, and asked, "So why're ya still up, Ro?" It was something at least.

Ororo just stared into her cup. "I just..." Her eyes closed as she breathed a sigh. "...Have a lot on my mind."

She shook her head. A small smile appeared on her lips, and chuckled. "You know, it's ironic. I never really knew what it's like to be in your shoes until recently."

Confusion caused Logan to furrow his brow and tilted his head. "What're you gettin' at, Ro?"

She turned to him, her expression now blank. "I'm saying that...I never knew what it was like to be haunted by something from your past." She turned to wall ahead of her, and her gaze became distant. "To have it there, at the edge of your mind, taunting you, tormenting you, coming to you in your dreams, and then flee back into the hiding."

Logan blinked at her. "Is that what this is about? Your past?" He then realized he sounded a bit harsh, and held up his hands in a defensive manner. "Not to be rude, or anything."

Ororo nodded her head. "It's alright, Logan." The woman's shoulders rose and fell as she sighed. "I assume this is about my past." Her eyes closed while she hung her head. "I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe the memories I had from earlier were probably just a onetime thing."

A silence grew between the two. Logan stared into his cup and just swirled the tea around. Ororo took another, long sip from hers.

After a couple of minutes Logan glanced at Ororo and she glanced back. The burly man felt awkward, and rubbed the back of his neck.

He turned to her with his hand still on his neck and said, "Look, Ro, you're a strong woman. Pretty obvious." He glanced off to the side. "**Maybe** these dreams are a result of what that Techno-Freak did to you." He removed his hand from his neck and shrugged with both hands while he shook his head. "I don't know." His eyes locked with hers, and he continued. "What I **am** sure is that you'll get through this." He gazed down to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Mostly because you didn't have you memory erased by a _damn_ _scumbag_." The fact that he said those last words in a dark tone put Ororo off a little.

His gaze met hers again. "Don't let what happened in the past screw with you." Gently, he put his, otherwise rough, hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you did, is _**long**_ behind you now. You got stop worrying about it, 'cause it ain't gonna affect your future."

A small smile brightened Ororo's face and she nodded her gratitude. "Words to live by, Logan."

Said man shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, well. I wish I could live by 'em."

What happened next he wasn't expecting, which nearly knocked him over. Ororo practically jumped at him, giving him a tight hug. "You soon will, as well. I'm sure of it."

For a several seconds, Logan tried to process what just happened. When he finally did, he returned the goddess' embrace. "I'm sure you're right, darlin'."

They stayed like that for a several, long, but pleasant, minutes, just enjoying the silence and the comfort of each other. After a while, Logan started to brush his hand through her snow white hair without thinking about it.

Ororo sighed peacefully, and laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying the gentle touch. She wanted nothing more than to just fall asleep in his arms. Logan knew he should to end this moment soon before Ororo fell asleep on him, even if he didn't want to do so.

"You should probably get some rest, Ro." There was no response from the woman. "Ro?" Still nothing. His head swung from side to side. _Too late._ With care not to wake the sleeping goddess, Logan shifted so that he was now carrying her bridal style with her head resting on his shoulder, and stood from his chair. _I hope there nobody else's awake._

The feral man carried Ororo back through the silent mansion, up the stairs, to her room. He adjusted his hold on her a bit so that he could open the door, and pushed it open with his back, crossing the room to her bed. There was another scent he picked up on; actually there a few distinct scents. One was stronger, but both had the smell of the sewers to them. He laid her down, and laid the blankets over her sleeping form.

Before he left, he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. He whispered to her, "_Night, darlin'_," and with that, left the room as quietly as he entered, silently closing the door behind him.

* * *

So yeah, that's an extra chapter...or whatever.

Anyway couple of comments I want to point out.

To Electra de Lioncourt...Eu não sou brasileiro. Eu sou americano, mas eu falo um pouco de português. Not trying to blow my own horn. Since I'm a growing Capoeirista, I'm learning how to speak the languague, although it'll take some time. Plus, I just wanted to add a little flavor to an otherwise English story.

To shejams...Yeah, the original title was over used, and I'm trying to make my story titles as original as possible. I might change it again, though.

Alright, that's all. Paz e muito amor (Peace and much love).

Oh, and also, I've made a few minor changes to chapter um (one). See if you can spot it.


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